Sports Business

ESPN and FS1's debate shows will go head-to-head in downtown Cleveland next week

"First Take, which until 2016 featured Stephen A. Smith, left, and Skip Bayless going head-to-head, will air live from Hofbrauhaus Cleveland next week. Bayless' "Undisputed" will be filmed at the Gateway Plaza.

If you, to quote an overused ESPN expression, embrace debate, there will be no shortage of live viewing options when the NBA Finals returns to Cleveland next week.

In fact, ESPN's "First Take" and FS1's "Undisputed" will go toe-to-toe for your live viewing attention during as many as seven mornings in the next two-plus weeks.

Would you rather watch Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman argue at Hofbrauhaus Cleveland, or taunt Skip Bayless outside Quicken Loans Arena? If that's too difficult a question to answer, don't worry: There will be plenty of opportunities to do both.

If the Cavs-Warriors series returns to Cleveland for Game 6, the Hofbrauhaus will be ESPN's home for a total of 26 hours of live programming in a span of 11 days.

"First Take" — the debate show featuring Smith and Max Kellerman that is moderated by Molly Qerim — will air live from the Hofbrauhaus from 10 a.m. to noon on June 6, 7, 8 and 9. And if the series comes back to Cleveland for Game 6, as we expect, "First Take" will return to the Bavarian-themed restaurant and bar on June 14, 15 and 16.

The debate show will also air one-hour live shows in prime time on June 6 and 7, plus June 14-16. The "First Take Special" will run from 7-8 p.m.

And if you're among the many who prefer calm, rational basketball discussion, "The Jump" — ESPN's quality afternoon NBA show hosted by Rachel Nichols — will also originate from the Hofbrauhaus on the same days "First Take" is shot in Cleveland. The Nichols-led program — whose cast of commentators also includes Tracy McGrady, Paul Pierce, Scottie Pippen, Brian Windhorst, Amin Elhassan and Zach Lowe — will air from 3-4 p.m.

ESPN said all of the shows are free and open to the public, and seating for each program begins 90 minutes before it starts.

"Undisputed," meanwhile, will air live from Gateway Plaza, beginning at 9 a.m., on June 6, 7, 8 and 9. Should the Cavs-Warriors series need at least a sixth game, that would mean another three tapings the following week. Tickets for the Bayless-led show — which also features Shannon Sharpe, Joy Taylor, Chris Broussard and Stephen Jackson — are free and available here.

If that's just too much to keep track of, here's the condensed breakdown of live tapings, assuming the Finals goes at least six games:

— First Take: 10 a.m.-noon, June 6-9 and June 14-16, at Hofbrauhaus Cleveland

— Undisputed: tapings begin at 9 a.m., June 6-9 and June 14-16, at Gateway Plaza

— The Jump: 3-4 p.m., June 6-9 and June 14-16, at Hofbrauhaus

— First Take Special: 7-8 p.m., June 6-7 and June 14-16, at Hofbrauhaus

Finally, your live programming analytics (which doesn't include "SportsCenter" and the countless other shows that will be broadcast from The Q): a possible 19 hours of First Take, seven hours of The Jump and 17.5 hours (2.5 each day) of Undisputed.

Rest up, Cavs fans.

The craziness begins Thursday night.

Could the Big Ten tournament make a Cleveland stop?

In 2017, the Big Ten men's basketball tournament was held outside Chicago or Indianapolis for the first time. Washington, D.C., hosted the event, and the 2018 conference tournament will be at Madison Square Garden in New York.

It's all part of Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany's push to expand the conference's footprint into markets that have been dominated by other leagues. Earlier this month, after Delany said he would encourage interested parties to seek the tournament, an SB Nation post listed five cities that would be intriguing spots for the Big Ten tourney.

Checking in at No. 3 on the list was Cleveland. Detroit was ranked first, followed by Minneapolis.

For the Big Ten tournament to come to The Q, one of two things would need to happen:

1. The conference would need to change its dates, as it did for 2018. Next year's tournament at the Big Apple will be held the weekend before Selection Sunday.

2. It would have to take the place of the Mid-American Conference on The Q's mid-March college basketball schedule.

The latter couldn't happen until 2024, at the earliest. In 2015, the MAC and The Q agreed to a six-year extension that ensures the conference tournament will be held at the home of the Cavs through 2023.

As it stands now, the Big Ten tourney isn't available until 2023. The conference tournament will be held in Chicago in 2019 and 2021, and Indy in 2020 and '22.

Having both the MAC and the Big Ten tournaments in Cleveland on back-to-back weeks in March would probably be impractical because of the Cavs' schedule. The more logical option would be for the Big Ten to take the place of the MAC on The Q's busy slate for a year, but would the MAC and The Q be OK with that, considering it would likely be a one-off — not a long-term commitment from the Big Ten?